


i feel warm in your arms tonight

by orphan_account



Series: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter Fics [33]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: FAHC, Fake AH Crew, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:35:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21886078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jeremy found a kitten during a heist. Ryan's more than willing to help him take care of it.
Relationships: Jeremy Dooley/Ryan Haywood
Series: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter Fics [33]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/846834
Comments: 3
Kudos: 81





	i feel warm in your arms tonight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anxiety_Induced_Writing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anxiety_Induced_Writing/gifts).



> this is a secret santa gift from the rt writers community for Anxiety_Induced_Writing!!

The first thing Jeremy hears when he ducks into the alleyway is a tiny mew.

He knows there’s stray cats around Los Santos—it’s not unusual in big cities. Still, growing up with cats himself, he has a soft spot for them. Sometimes he wishes he could gather up every cat he found on the streets and take them in, but his apartment doesn’t exactly have room for that.

As he approached the mewing kitten, his eyes widened. Even in the dim light, he could see its outline: it was _small,_ and its fur was short and dirty. Jeremy kept the comms on while he sat down next to the kitten, holding a hand out for it to sniff. Before long, it came closer to him, now being illuminated by the streetlamp glow outside the alleyway.

It was a light gray with some white splotches around its face and belly. It sniffed his hand before rubbing its head against it, and Jeremy smiled. “Hey, little guy,” he cooed, hoping no one could hear him through the comms.

He jumped when he heard police sirens, though. Right, the heist was still going on. He sighed, looking at the kitten cupped in his hands.

Well. Jeremy couldn’t leave it behind now. He tucked the kitten into his suit jacket, keeping an arm under it to keep it held up. He spotted the getaway vehicle and Jack in the driver’s seat—oh, he was gonna get an earful from her when he jumped in. Making sure the kitten was secure, he got up and rushed to the car.

“God, do you know how long we were waiting for you?” Jack exclaimed, immediately as Jeremy got into the car. She stepped on the gas and drove away, giving him little time to settle into someone’s lap (all the spots were already taken). Ryan pulled Jeremy into his lap, and his face flushed. “What took you so long, Jeremy?”

“O-oh, uh…” He glanced down at the lump protruding out of his jacket. “Nothing, just...got lost, a bit.”

“Well, stick to the plan. Geoff didn’t make it _that_ hard this time, did he?”

“Look, I forgot!”

Jack groaned and continued driving, clearly not wanting to argue with Jeremy anymore. Even if it was because she was worried about him and the rest of the crew, she must’ve been tired. They all seemed to be—Gavin was passed out next to him and Ryan, and Geoff seemed to be nodding off in the passenger seat. Even if Michael was awake, he was definitely struggling to do so. Ryan didn’t look as tired as the rest of them, but he kept leaning away from Jeremy to yawn.

Soon enough, they drove into the penthouse’s garage, and everyone started to file out and head up. Jeremy, though, wasn’t exactly ready to release the kitten there. He at least wanted to make sure it was healthy before letting it around the others. He got out and started walking out of the garage so Ryan could leave, but he couldn’t hear the other man leave. He turned around, seeing Ryan leaning against the car. “Not coming up to the penthouse?” He asked.

“No…” Jeremy trailed off. “I’d rather sleep in my apartment tonight.”

“Can I come with?”

Oh, now he was conflicted. First he pulled him into his lap on the drive back, and now he wanted to come to his apartment? Jeremy sighed. The thought of Ryan being in his apartment made him want to freak out for two different reasons: he’d wanted this for ages, but at the same time, he still didn’t want to reveal the kitten’s existence to him. 

Well, he hoped Ryan was good with secrets. “Y-yeah, sure.”

“You good?” Ryan asked, joining Jeremy as they walked.

“Just kinda shaken up, I guess. Didn’t want the cops to catch us, y’know?” He laughed half-heartedly.

Ryan hummed in response. “Are you hiding something?”

Jeremy’s eyes widened. “W-why…?”

“There’s something in your jacket, dude.”

He bit the inside of his lip. “Look, it’s not what you think it is, okay? I-I’ll explain when we get back…”

“I don’t even know _what_ you could be hiding. If it’s something to hurt us, you fucked up already now that we’re out of the car.”

“I’m not _that_ stupid.”

“Of course not, why do you think Geoff recruited you in the first place?”

They stayed in silence the rest of the way there—thankfully it wasn’t a long walk, and Jeremy held the door open for Ryan as they walked inside his apartment. 

At this point, the kitten had been wiggling around in his jacket for a while now. Jeremy sighed and let it out, putting it on the living room floor.

“...Oh,” Ryan said, seeing the kitten. “Did you find it during the heist?”

“Yeah…” Jeremy replied. 

“You could’ve just let it be in the penthouse, no one would’ve minded.”

“I wanted to make sure it was healthy, at least!” He sighed, looking at the kitten—it had jumped up onto his couch and curled up. “It doesn’t have fleas or ticks, I know that much.”

“That’s good. You gonna check if it has a microchip or something?”

“Yeah, I’ll…” He put a hand on his head. “This isn’t exactly an emergency, so I’m pretty sure we can’t call the vet now.”

“Mm. Do you still want me to keep this a secret?” Jeremy nodded. “Alright. Do you...mind if I stay the night? I don’t really wanna walk back, I was already tired in the car. I can stay on the couch and keep Aria company,” Ryan said, patting the kitten’s head.

“You named it already?” Jeremy replied, laughing a little.

“What? Gotta give them a name.”

“Alright, alright.” He put his hands up. “But, uh...if you want...my bed can fit two people…” He looked away, his face flushed.

“I’ll keep it in mind.” Ryan kept his gaze on Jeremy as he retreated to his bedroom, his attention turning to the kitten—Aria, now—once he was gone. “Maybe we should get you washed up, huh?”

It took some time for Ryan to get Aria cleaned—most of it being spent looking up what he could use that was safe for a cat—but once he was done, their coat was no longer covered in dirt, and they seemed a little healthier already. Looking back at Jeremy’s bedroom door, he knew it was closer than the couch, and he just wanted to collapse on something softer than the sofa… 

He walked out of the bathroom, a damp Aria in tow as he entered Jeremy’s bedroom. The lights were turned off, but the moon provided some light. Jeremy was on the right side of the bed, facing the wall, fast asleep. Ryan sighed and closed the door—hopefully Jeremy wouldn’t mind. He took his jacket and pants off, leaving him in a t-shirt and boxers as he crawled into bed beside Jeremy.

Ryan watched Jeremy as his stomach rose and fell with his breathing. He wanted to reach out and pull him closer, but he was asleep...he didn’t want to cross a boundary he was already wary of breaking (even if Jeremy had told him he was okay with it if they slept in the same bed).

As he drifted off, he could feel the mattress shift, but he wasn’t sure if it was Jeremy waking up, or Aria deciding to join them.

———

Jeremy woke up when he felt the mattress dip, and he turned around to see Ryan curled up on his bed. If he was any more awake, he probably would’ve been blushing like crazy, but he simply smiled. Ryan was...cute, like this, vulnerable in a way he hadn’t seen much—as much as he tried to fall asleep in his own room in the penthouse, Ryan did end up passing out on the couch once or twice. Something about the way he curled in on himself, one arm under the pillow and another covering his eyes, made Jeremy want to come in closer and wrap around him. He did need something to hold onto while he slept…

Something told him that Ryan was still awake, so his arms hovered around Ryan’s form, silently asking for permission. To Jeremy’s surprise, Ryan leaned into his touch, letting him scooch closer and wrap his arms around the bigger man.

———

Ryan wasn’t really one to wake up early—all those midnight walks around the penthouse didn’t do much for his sleep. He’d gotten to bed earlier than he did, though, and he woke up with the sun just beginning to rise. Pink and purple sunlight came through the window and illuminated the bedroom, casting Jeremy in the same light. There was something almost... _enchanting,_ about the scene in front of him.

At least, until Aria jumped on Jeremy’s pillow and started rubbing his face. Jeremy groaned and pulled away from Ryan, opening one eye and picking Aria up. “Hey, what’re you doing?” he asked. 

“Probably hungry,” Ryan sleepily replied. 

“Mm, yeah, probably.” Jeremy groaned as he got up. “You wanna make breakfast while I fix something up for Aria?”

“I can do that.”

They stayed in their pajamas all morning. Jeremy found some leftover chicken in the fridge and chopped it up with a fork, placing it on a plate and beckoning Aria over. Ryan watched as they ate it, but he felt pulled to the grin on Jeremy’s face.

Once Aria was eating, he started on making some pancakes for him and Jeremy. “Maybe you could call the vet and see if they have any appointments going on?”

“Oh, that’d be a good idea,” Jeremy replied. “Hold on.” He took out his phone and stepped into the living room, calling the vet.

He came back in once Ryan was flipping pancakes. “This afternoon sound good?”

“I mean, I’d have to run back to my apartment to get some actual clothes, but sure.” 

———

As promised, they left early to go to Ryan’s apartment so he could change—going to the vet in the Vagabond’s jacket wasn’t exactly the best plan. Once he’d changed, they continued on their way. Jeremy’s gaze kept flitting to Ryan—his hand, specifically. If both of his hands weren’t occupied with holding Aria, he might’ve reached over to grab it by now. Maybe.

What they’d learned from the vet was that there wasn’t any microchip, and there likely weren’t any shots either: whether that was because it was so young or because it was a stray, they weren’t sure. Aria was also a girl, and the vet guessed she was around six weeks old—not old enough to get any vaccines done. They could look for lost cat posters, but if Jeremy wanted to keep her, he could.

They went to buy supplies for her afterwards—food, a litter box and accompanying litter, a carrier, and a few toys. The whole thing felt stupidly domestic, and Jeremy wished he could’ve bonded with Ryan like this before. 

Once they neared Ryan’s apartment building, Jeremy slowed. “You...probably wanna head home, right?”

“A little…” Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll visit, though. I don’t wanna just see you at the penthouse, y’know?”

Jeremy’s eyes widened, and he could feel his cheeks flare up. “O-oh, yeah, sure. I’ll see you around, then?”

“Yeah!” Ryan turned in the direction of his apartment, but he waved goodbye to Jeremy before facing away.

Jeremy started walking to his own apartment once Ryan was out of view, but his blush didn’t seem to go away. “Man, Aria, I’ve got it bad…”

———

True to his word, Ryan started visiting. It was usually with a text or two beforehand before Jeremy heard a knock at his door a few minutes later. It tended to be every few days, more erratic and seemed to be whenever Ryan wanted to come over, but Jeremy was usually free anyway—they were on the same heists most of the time anyway.

His visits became more frequent, though, sometimes staying overnight if Ryan really didn’t want to leave. Jeremy never minded; if anything, he preferred it when he stayed. Sleeping in the same bed became less and less awkward, but it left Jeremy questioning what exactly their relationship was. They hung out a lot, and they slept in the same bed, and they both acted like parents to Aria, but they’d never established anything. As far as Jeremy was concerned, they were still friends.

He really didn’t want to be friends, though. Well, he didn’t want to be friends without dating Ryan, too. But how the hell was he supposed to bring that up?

The two of them—the two of them and Aria, more like—were curled up on Jeremy’s couch. Once again, they’d bounced over to his apartment post-heist, ordering pizza for another night in. They’d broken out a Halo game that Ryan couldn’t remember the name of, but that was fine. They took bites of their (and sometimes the other’s) pizza during calm moments, the thief giggling with a mouth full of pizza as the other pushed him. 

“Oh, goddamn, that was _close,”_ Jeremy leaned against the back of the couch once the match was over: their team had won by an inch, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Maybe if I actually played this game more often, we’d be better, yeah?” Ryan finished off his second slice of pizza, looking at Jeremy.

Something about him hit...different. The actual room lights were dim, and it was nighttime, making the only real source of light the TV across the room. It felt more intimate than before—sharing pizza and a video game with someone he admired, appreciated, _loved._

Oh. _Oh._ That was it.

Ryan scooted closer to Jeremy, their thighs touching as he turned towards the other man. Jeremy looked at him, his head tilted in confusion.

“Need something, Rye?” 

Ryan could see that Jeremy’s face was flushed, but he didn’t want to bring it up. “I-I…” _Fuck, this is not a good time to start flubbing._ “Can you—no, can _I_ kiss _you?”_

“Y-you…” Jeremy suddenly turned away. Even in the strange artificial light, Ryan could tell his blush had deepened. A lot. He laughed a little, “Why wouldn’t I want you to?”

“Is that...i-is that a yes?”

Jeremy nodded, and before Ryan could reply, he was pulled into a kiss. Ryan dropped the controller to hold Jeremy’s face as he leaned back onto the couch cushions. He could feel Aria wriggle away as they kissed.

Ryan could taste the greasy pizza on Jeremy’s lips before he pulled away, worried that he was crushing him.

“How long have you been wanting to do that?” Ryan asked.

“Longer than I wanna admit,” Jeremy said, laughter in his reply.

“Same here.” Ryan wrapped an arm around Jeremy’s back to pull him in and kiss him again. Jeremy tilted his head and brought a hand up to stroke Ryan’s cheek. Jeremy pulled away this time, resting his forehead against Ryan’s.

———

When Jeremy wakes up, Ryan isn’t in bed with him. Worry shoots through him for a split second before he sees the kitchen light from the crack under the door. He sighs, picking up Aria from the foot of the bed—she’s a lot bigger than she was when she was first found a few months ago—and getting up.

He’s still rubbing at his eyes when he sees Ryan in the kitchen, attempting to make omelettes for the two of them. “Hey,” Ryan mumbles, kissing Jeremy’s cheek when he’s close enough. “Geoff’s teasing me today.”

“Yeah?”

“Keeps telling me that I can’t spend too much time making out with you today ‘cause we’ve got a heist,” he replies.

“I don’t wanna make out with you now, I didn’t even brush my teeth yet.”

“Yeah, I hope you don’t,” Ryan jokes, bumping Jeremy’s hip with his own. “Go do that so we can make out sooner.”

“‘Course.” Jeremy sets Aria down and heads into the bathroom. He hears a quiet _“fuck”_ from Ryan—they’re probably having scrambled eggs now.

Once he’s done, he heads back into the kitchen and confirms his earlier suspicion. “When do we need to be at the penthouse anyway?”

“In a couple hours. But we’ve got time.” 

Jeremy nods, leaning his head on Ryan’s shoulders as he looks out the kitchen window. He didn’t really like waking up early before this, but with Ryan, it’s different. He didn’t have the morning to share with anyone before him.

With a boyfriend and a cat, he doesn’t really have an excuse to sleep in anymore. And Jeremy’s fine with that.


End file.
